Laura Bush, Cindy McCain appeal for Gulf Coast aid

Cindy McCain (left) and First Lady Laura Bush shared the stage Monday to ask GOP delegates to help victims of hurricane Gustav.

Mary Knox Merrill/Staff

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St. Paul, Minn.

Somber appeals for aid, plus a jolt of political star power. If the first day of the Republican National Convention is any guide, that’s the balance the GOP will be trying to strike here in St. Paul all week.

“As John has been saying, this is the time when we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats,” said Mrs. McCain, referring to efforts to pull together to help affected Gulf Coast states.

Of course, there can be political gain for a candidate in appearing presidential – as videos introduced by Mrs. Bush of four Gulf state governors made clear.

Thus the convention quickly adopted the GOP platform, a nonbinding document that among other things declares the party’s unconditional opposition to abortion, calls for a fence along the nation’s southern border, and judges that English should be the US national language.

Delegates also voted to ban states other than Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina from holding their 2012 primaries before the first Tuesday in March. Those states have fought hard to maintain their electoral prerogatives.

The schedule for the convention’s remaining days remains unclear, though some activities will clearly continue. The biggest question remained whether John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin will appear in person at the proceedings or accept their nominations in some other manner.